Where I’m From…
I was born in Toledo Ohio on March 25, 1934. My parents divorced when I was eight years old so I lived with my mother in extreme poverty until I was fifteen. Eventually I moved in with my sister, graduated high school and went on to Smith College in 1958. I was given the unique and special opportunity to go to India for two years after I got my diploma where I was inspired by the low living standards and overwhelming poverty rate to become more proactive in the government at home. I began with the Civil Rights Movement and soon realized the potential and power I held in getting the government’s attention to needs I felt important. Working for the civil rights cause inspired me to start working on the equal rights of women. I wrote about my feelings as a journalist to get nationwide attention, as well as attending protests, making speeches and talking to people about my views.
My Beliefs…
I don’t think that women should replace the role of men; I just think they should join them in it. Other activists, as well as myself, are not here to help the society grow as a whole. To pinpoint a problem and give alternatives instead of being bogged down by stupid rules and laws. Did you know that currently the law says that if you are a married woman you are not allowed to use your maiden name, nor sign credit statements, nor buy your own property? Women aren’t even allowed to start their own business. Whether you are a women or man, black or white, Christian or Jewish, we are all people and we should all be treated as one. Some people have a difficult time seeing that but think of it this way: men have a higher chance of becoming terminally ill or catching a deadly disease because of their high stress level. If women were to start working they could relieve the stress of the men from supporting the entire family. The law states that women, non-Caucasian races etc are not permitted to participate in some parts of society, and even the those laws are changed some people will believe otherwise- but for those who are not convinced, as Martin Luther King once said, “…it isn't that the end justifies the means, it's that the means are the ends. And if we can do that, you see, it makes for joy, and mind-expansion, and friendships, and jokes in the process. And that means we can go on forever.”
My Goals…
My goal in life is to see a society where all sexes, races, religions and ethnic backgrounds are accepted into the same society and given the same opportunities. I want to see a world where women can wear a pair of slacks and not get shunned. I want to live in a place where books talk about men working at home with the kids and the women are out in the workplace. I want to see a place where even men start to speak out for once and say, “I’ve been overworked. I need a break from supporting the family.” How do we achieve this? It starts at home. Teaching you kids that mommy works too is a great way to give your little girls confidence to go out and change the world. In schools, there need to be men and women teaching. Boys and girls on the athletic teams. Roles in society should not be discriminated to only men or only women. If a girl wants to play soccer with the boys- let her. If a guy wants to bake a cake for his friend’s birthday- support him in doing so. We are entering into a new world where these ideas of equality are being more and more accepted and it’s about time that you, your friends and your family join in.
Gloria Steinem by Louise
Where I’m From…
I was born in Toledo Ohio on March 25, 1934. My parents divorced when I was eight years old so I lived with my mother in extreme poverty until I was fifteen. Eventually I moved in with my sister, graduated high school and went on to Smith College in 1958. I was given the unique and special opportunity to go to India for two years after I got my diploma where I was inspired by the low living standards and overwhelming poverty rate to become more proactive in the government at home. I began with the Civil Rights Movement and soon realized the potential and power I held in getting the government’s attention to needs I felt important. Working for the civil rights cause inspired me to start working on the equal rights of women. I wrote about my feelings as a journalist to get nationwide attention, as well as attending protests, making speeches and talking to people about my views.
My Beliefs…
I don’t think that women should replace the role of men; I just think they should join them in it. Other activists, as well as myself, are not here to help the society grow as a whole. To pinpoint a problem and give alternatives instead of being bogged down by stupid rules and laws. Did you know that currently the law says that if you are a married woman you are not allowed to use your maiden name, nor sign credit statements, nor buy your own property? Women aren’t even allowed to start their own business. Whether you are a women or man, black or white, Christian or Jewish, we are all people and we should all be treated as one. Some people have a difficult time seeing that but think of it this way: men have a higher chance of becoming terminally ill or catching a deadly disease because of their high stress level. If women were to start working they could relieve the stress of the men from supporting the entire family. The law states that women, non-Caucasian races etc are not permitted to participate in some parts of society, and even the those laws are changed some people will believe otherwise- but for those who are not convinced, as Martin Luther King once said, “…it isn't that the end justifies the means, it's that the means are the ends. And if we can do that, you see, it makes for joy, and mind-expansion, and friendships, and jokes in the process. And that means we can go on forever.”
My Goals…
My goal in life is to see a society where all sexes, races, religions and ethnic backgrounds are accepted into the same society and given the same opportunities. I want to see a world where women can wear a pair of slacks and not get shunned. I want to live in a place where books talk about men working at home with the kids and the women are out in the workplace. I want to see a place where even men start to speak out for once and say, “I’ve been overworked. I need a break from supporting the family.” How do we achieve this? It starts at home. Teaching you kids that mommy works too is a great way to give your little girls confidence to go out and change the world. In schools, there need to be men and women teaching. Boys and girls on the athletic teams. Roles in society should not be discriminated to only men or only women. If a girl wants to play soccer with the boys- let her. If a guy wants to bake a cake for his friend’s birthday- support him in doing so. We are entering into a new world where these ideas of equality are being more and more accepted and it’s about time that you, your friends and your family join in.
Works Cited:
Gorney, Cynthia. “Gloria.” Mother Jones. December, 1995. The Foundation for National
Progress. 10, December 2007. <http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/1995/11/gorney.html>.
No Author. “Women’s History: Gloria Steinem.” Gale Cengage Learning. 2003. UXL
Biographies. 7 December, 2007. <http://gale.cengage.com/free_resources/whm/bio/steinem_g.htm>.
Steinem, Gloria. “What it Would Be Like if Women Win.” Time. 31 August, 1970. Time INC.
10 December, 2007. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,876786-1,00.html>.